Cord reel



All@ 18, 1931 H. s. MONTGOMERY y 1,819,434

' conn REEL Filed Jan. 9. 1929 dudan,

Patented Ang. 1s, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE com) REEL Application filed January 9, 1929. semi No. 331,290.Y

This invention relates to cord reels and more particularly to that type of reel on which cord is stacked for use in tying up packages.

5 In confectionery shops and like places where a large number of small packages are dispensed by sales ladies, it is very desirable to have a cord reel which will play out the cord as it is desired for tying packages, but

at the same time not produce a drag, that is, to permit of the easy unvvinding of the cord and yet not vpermit it to unwind with such ease that an excess of unwound cord willbe present. Such an excess of unwound cord'is untidy, in the way of wrapping packages, often requires the stooping over of the sales ladies to reach a dropped end thereof, and

generally effects a lack of economy.

To remedy this defect it has been customary to produce a braking effect upon the reel,

as by springs or other positive braking devices. Asa .result of these braking devices on the reel, a drag is produced. It is not easy to provide a reel of sufficient ease of unwinding and at the same time avoid this drag The effect of the drag is to cause the operator to yank at the cord with the result that an eXcess of unwound cord is produced.

The object of my invention is to avoid these difliculties. To that end the reel of this invention seeks to permit of the easy unwinding of the cord and at the same time produce a slight braking effect, yet enough to accomplish the braking without inducing the sales ladies to yank at the cord.

Afurther object of the invention is to sim- Aplify the devices now on the market for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to produce a bearing in which this braking effect is provided without the use of springs and in which the braking effect will automatically adjust itself.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional view through the reel,

Figure 2 is a similar view on a slightly enlarged scale of one bearing,

Figure 8 is an elevation of one reel support, and

Figure 11 is a view showing a slightly modified form of reel construction.

The numeral 10 indicates a spool of cord comprising a shank 11 with fianges 12 and 13 which may be made of stout cardboard attached to the wooden shank 12 by screws 14. These screws also serve the purpose of attaching a metal end 15 to the shank 11, a suitable spacing disc 16 being inserted between the metal end and the flange.. Projecting from the metal ends are the stub shafts 17.

The reel just described is a construction wellknown. It is supported in standards 18 which are provided with bases 19 adapted to be fastened by any suitable means to a base or floor.

The upper end of the standard is provided with a kerf 20, the base of which is curved to form a bearing 21 for the stub shaft 17. To either side of the bearing 21 are cut grooves 22 opening into said bearing. The kerf end of the grooves, it will be appreciated, extend through the width of the standard. In the grooves 22 are inserted felt 23 in pencil form, and in the kerf 20 above the bearing 21 is a felt block 24. Between the spool end 15 and the standard there is mounted on the stub shaft a metal washer 25. By the term felt 'as herein used is meant any material having' the qualities and capable of the functions of felt as it is employed in the combination herein described and claimed.

The felt pencils are inserted in the grooves 22 in such a. way that they slightly project into the bearing opening 21. The stub shaft having the metal washers 25 thereon are inserted in the kerf 20 and permitted to occupy the bearing openings 21. The felt block 24 is then inserted in the kerf and pressed down upon the stub shaft. The bearing thus formed for the stub shaft consists of the metal.

lower portion 0f the kerf, the projecting felt of the pencils, and the lower portion of the felt block. It will be appreciated that the felt pencils and block, while retaining the stub shaft in position in the standard, at the 'same time produce a braking effect and this braking effect is controllable or adjustable through a variety of expedients which will be described. But it is designed to produce just enough braking effect to prevent unaided unwinding of the spool reel and yet permit of an ease of unwinding whichv will not tempt the user of the reel to yank at the cord.

In assembling the spool in the standards it is designed that the felt element of the bearing shall be put in place with sufficient force to cause a substantial braking on the reel.

But it will be also appreciatedl that when the reel is turned for the first time any eX- cess of braking effect will be relieved after the first turning as it will cause a re-setting of the felt to a positionwhere it may be said to be adjusted to accommodate itself tov the requisite braking effect. If at any time this braking effect is released for any reason to a point where unwound cord is present in the normal operation of the reel it is only necessary to make one or more of several adjustments of the felt.

A pressure downwardon the felt block 24 will cause the felt block to more firmly engage the stub shaft and this may be sufficient to re produce the braking effect. Or the pencils of felt may be rotated within the grooves 22 to bring a new surface against the stub shaft and this expedient may be employed to reproduce the braking effect. Or it may only be necessary to take a lead pencil or similar blunt pointed instrument and press in on the felt pencils toward the spool, and this will have the effect of compressing the ,felt to a new braking facility. Or it may be that new felt pencils, after long use of the reel, might be desirable. They are readily inserted in the grooves 22. And likewise anew felt block might be inserted or the present block turned upside down, or the present block trimmed with a. pair of shears to produce a new surface of contact with the stub shaft. Nor does this exhaust the possibilit-ies for it will be appreci- 'a'ted that if either the pencils of felt or the block of felt were pressed inwardly toward the spool, the inner surfaces thereof would bear against the metal washers 25 so as to pressit into contact with the met-al end of the spool and thereby produce a braking effect.

In Figure 4 is shown a slightly modified form of spool in which the wooden shank 26 has a bore 27 therein. into which are inserted the shaft sections 28 and 29, these sections being screwed together as shown at 30. The metalflanges 31 have on their inner faces projections 32 which take into pockets or recesses in the ends of the shank 26 in order to secure a rotation of the shank with the flanges. 31. In this form the remaining parts are similar to which can be easily assembled and wherein the spool can be readily inserted in its supporting standards and removed therefrom, and one in which there is produced a novel bearing combining the several capabilities of ascrew holding the spool in place and producing a braking effect which might be said to be automatically adjustable in order to prevent the presence of drag and yet be sufficiently strong to prevent the presence of unwound cord. i

`That is claimed is t l. In a bearing for a cord reel, a support for a shaft end having a bearing opening therein, a recess or pocket adj acent said opening and communicating therewith, and a felt filling for said pocket projecting into the bearing opening to produce a braking effect on the shaft in said opening.

2. In a bearing for a cord reel, a supporting standard, a kerf in said supporting standard at the bottom o f which a bearing opening is provided, a shaft insertable in said bearing opening through said kerf, and a block of felt filling said kerf and. bearing upon said shaft to produce a braking effect.

3. In a bearing for a cord spool, a standard, a bearing opening in said standard, a`

shaft in said opening, a pocket encircling a portion of said bearing opening, and a felt filling for said pocket, designed to produce a braking eHect upon the shaft in said opening.

Il. The combination of claim 3 in which pocket containing the felt extends across the` standard, whereby manual pressure may be eierted upon the felt filling in order to increase the braking effect upon the spool body.

6. The combination of claim 3 in which a spacing washer is provided between the stand ard and the spool, and the pocket containing the felt extends across the standard, whereby manual pressure may be exerted upon the felt filling in Aorder to increase the braking effect upon the shaft end and upon the spool body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY S. MONTGOMERY.,

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